Frenkie de Jong has been warned that his reasons for joining Manchester United have the potential to upset his new teammates.
The 25-year-old midfielder is the subject of an £63million agreement between United and Barcelona, but the deal has stalled due an issue with De Jong's salary back at the Camp Nou. Owed around £17m worth of wages which he agreed to defer in order to help Barca survive the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dutchman is reportedly resisting a move to Old Trafford until he receives payment.
Frequently reiterating his desire to stay at "dream club" Barcelona but allegedly disgusted by the Blaugrana's eagerness to sell him, De Jong has been courted by new United boss Erik ten Hag, who spectacularly guided him to stardom during their time together at Ajax. But signing for United "by default" - with only a previous relationship with the manager as your motivation behind the move - wouldn't be enough to convince a right-minded dressing room, according to ex-striker Louis Saha.
Having experienced part of the Red Devils' most successful period in their illustrious history, two-time Premier League winner Saha admits that he wouldn't be pleased with a player arriving who harbours the same feelings that De Jong has about the transfer. Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football , courtesy of bet365, the 43-year-old Frenchman explained: "When you look at the saga and how long it's taking to sign him, we see things in the press but we don't know what he's really thinking.
"If he doesn't want to come, don't bring him to the club. He's supposed to leave Barcelona and, by default, go to United because he likes the manager. That's not enough. That's not good enough for me as a teammate. If I imagine that, I might say, 'Oh, he could be a good player' - but that's not a good sign. And we want to see players who really want to commit.
"But, again, because I don't know what's in his mind and I haven't spoken to the player directly, it's only speculation. I would be really against forcing a player to come the club, that's not how things should work."
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Despite Saha's concerns, the former Red Devil does reckon that De Jong would have a positive impact at Old Trafford on the pitch. Ten Hag wants to make the Netherlands international his midfield linchpin to help usher in a new era for the 20-time English champions, and Saha is in agreement.
"He's definitely a player that's part of the project that we see from the manager," he affirmed. "He'll fit in really well because he's very technical, he's charismatic and very confident on the ball, and he doesn't panic. You can see the chances that he'll give the strikers with the right runs into space."
